What are your strategies for Par 5s?

[titaniummd]

How do you approach a par 5?

Do you always use the driver, do you take account the hazards when choosing a club? What is the highest lofted club that you will use on a par 5?

Do you always try to reach the green in 2?

[HartridgeKing]

Usually I hit driver off the tee and if its reachable I usually always go for the green in two, unless their is a large water hazard I don't think I can carry. If that's the situation I will lay up to a full swing wedge distance.

[Grndslmhttr3]

Break out the driver and grip it and rip it baby.

[ElTigre]

Agressive. It's always how I play. Im not very long about 250-260 off the tee consistently, but my philosophy as close to the green as possible since I am really confident in my half-swing lob wedges.

[Long_Ball_Bogey]

It depends on a lot of different factors (hole design, weather, wind, hazards, whether I'm winning/losing & whether it "fits" my eye or not). I like going for it, but it's not always practical. --LBB

[Sir Shanksalot]

I will usually go for it unless I am having a bad day with the driver or there is some kind of hazard to deal with. It sure is a great feeling to reach a par 5 in 2 and have an eagle putt.

[dragonflyin]

I usually like to lay up for a short third. I figured that I have a short wedge game, which can give me an opportunity at birdie, and ensure a par. If it's a really short par 5, or I have a really favorable position from the drive, I'll rip a hard second.

[Fat Slice]

If the fairway is normal, I will give the driver a good whack. I won't try and overswing (as par 5s can seduce you to do). I'll usually then hit a hybrid so I have a short pitch on to the green and will try and put myself in a position to 1-putt. That's the PLAN and usually I have a goof up somewhere along the line so I end up scrambling for par or bogey or worse. Short par 5 I can reach in two but only with two perfect shots. At my skill level, trying to do that gets me in more trouble - I score better trying to get there in three.

[rubbery]

As long is there is no hazard guarding the green, I will usually go for it in two. There are times, usually in matches, when I will just put the ball in the fairway about 110-120 out.

[Smilesy]

I always play it by ear. I do like to make it in 2 if i can though

[dave s]

Same for every par 5: Drive it in the fairway, chew up 180-200 with a 3 hybrid and get myself into wedge range. Go for the stick with a wedge to setup a makeable birdie.

My strategy doesn't always work out though. Many times, it's a less than workable drive resulting in a poor oppty with the 3 hybrid followed by a longer than expected approach to the green leading to a scramble for a par but many times turns into a bogey or worse.

Reality.

dave

[JonnyGolf]

I want to get as close as possible. I feel like I can get up and down from inside 50yds from almost anywhere. As long as there isn't OB, I'm going to knock it up there as close as possible, even using my driver off the deck.

[Yanks Fan]

I'm usually never long enough to reach in two so I usually just hit driver to whatever club will leave me about 90-110 yards and try and get up and down from there.

Although I have hit 8iron off a 500+ yard par 5 lol. Very very narrow fairway, wind in back, downhill all the way to the hole. Blind shot after blind shot after blind shot on that hole.

[kyldo]

Almost always driver. If I hit rough and get a good lie i'll go for the green, bad lie is lay up, fairway i'll go for the green unless its a really bad move (water hazard, etc.)

[Shindig]

How do you approach a par 5?

If it is safe to hit driver off the tee, I do so. Even when I'm hitting driver poorly, I still hit mine rather well in expectation. My first time playing a course, I tend to play par-5s cautiously, unless there's something I know about them. When I know I'm coming back to a course, I try to make a note of where good lies are for third shots, and try to get there in two. For example, at Rancho Park, the par-5 4th, good approaches come either 150-170 from the green (meaning I'm hitting a long iron) or within 110 (9 iron or better). So I try to get it such that my second shot stops within 110. If it isn't possible, such as after a really bad tee shot, I'll lay-up to 150 and hit a 4-iron safely onto the green. Even at #18hcp, par is a good score for me. I've gone for a par-5 in two twice, and both times made birdie. Both followed absolutely crushed drives, and once I two-putted for said birdie. Wouldn't you know it, though? The latter par-5 is now a par-4 with the tees moved accordingly. As for hazards? I always take them into account when choosing a club and a target. There's no sense risking water or a fairway bunker if I can make my second shot from short grass.

[Open-Faced Club Sandwedge]

I always hit my driver off the tee, but I don't hit a lot of fairways, and so my second shot is generally a lay-up of some sort. When I do stripe a drive down the middle, I will shoot for the green in two (when I stripe a drive down the middle, it goes very long). When I'm laying up, I'll try for about 120 yards out if I can. A full pitching wedge to the green is one of my more accurate shots.

-Andrew

[benhd1]

My Last 6 or 7 rounds have been played at 'The Shattuck' in Jaffrey NH. 3 monster par 5's each of which force you to think. Each hole has a name: #5 is "The Gauntlet" 612 from the tips, I play the blues its about 575. Driver/4 or 5 Iron/wedge. Stream in front of green.... #6 is "Triple Threat" I play 5 iron/7 iron/wedge or 9.....swamp out straight and left for second and in front of green...snakes in there....I hate snakes! #15 is "Double Trouble" shorter version of #6, but swamp is further from Tees. I play driver/ 8 iron/ wedge...this green is a postage stamp!!! Check it out "The Shattuck" rated some where in the top 50 from the tips. Top 2 or 3 in New England.

[Zeph]

There are no main strategy, every hole is different, from par 3 to par 5. Most par 5's I drive, maybe go for the green in two if it's not too far, otherwise I lay up. How I play it depends on distance, hazards, conditions, hole design etc.